


I'll Put My Future In You

by righteousbros



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Jensen, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bullying, First Time, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Jared, Praise Kink, Underage Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 14:05:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/righteousbros/pseuds/righteousbros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the SPNMpreg Bigbang.  While visiting his cousin’s elite alpha-only prep school, Haverford Academy, Jensen interrupts three big bullies harassing a defenseless younger boy.  Jensen discovers that the boy, Jared, is an omega on the cusp of his first heat and despite his better judgement he does what he can to help him through it.  In the process, he finds himself falling for this sweet lonely kid and that scares the crap out of him.  Jensen is quite happy in his responsibility-free lifestyle.  He's not looking to change and he knows that Jared is destined for greater things.  Not wanting to get involved or to hold Jared back, he takes off and leaves the boy to fend for himself.  It's a harsh decision and it haunts him for weeks afterward, unable to get the omega out of his mind.  Then out of nowhere, he finds out that fate has given him a second chance to do the right thing.  Jensen jumps at the opportunity that's being handed to him, determined to win Jared back and to prove to him that this time around he's not going anywhere.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All original artwork for this story was created by Sammycolt24.

 

Jensen was bored out of his skull. He hadn’t even wanted to go to his cousin’s school that afternoon but it was the kid’s first big Friday game as captain of the lacrosse team and Jensen just didn’t have the heart to say no to him. As proud as he was of Nick, watching a bunch of high-schoolers chase each other around with big sticks wasn’t exactly his idea of a good time.  
  
He made it all the way through the first half before he was too restless to sit still any longer. Nick’s team, the Haverford Academy Hellcats, were leading St. John’s Prep in a complete blowout. The Hellcats were really good, and they could afford to be thanks in large part to some very generous alumnae boosters. St. John’s didn’t stand a chance quite frankly and Jensen soon got tired of watching his cousin mow them into the grass. He decided to just wander around the campus a bit, figuring he’d be back in plenty of time to treat Nick and his friends to a celebratory pizza when the game was over.  
  
The campus of Haverford Academy was set on an enormous country estate just outside the upscale bedroom community of Westbrook, Connecticut. The old stone buildings of Haverford predated much of the neighboring towns and were flanked by pristine sports fields, tree-lined courtyards, and an enormous white-columned library. The posh private academy was a far cry from Jensen’s own lackluster high school experience, most of which he spent in shop class. Everyone knew that Haverford boys were destined for greatness. They were being groomed to become pillars of the financial world, top legal minds, and political power players. Someday soon Nick would be just like them if his father had anything to say about. Until then, Jensen felt it was his duty to be a bad influence on his straight-laced cousin. The guy needed to have at least a little fun before he was chained to a desk for the rest of his natural life.  
  
Jensen ambled through the network of walking paths that criss-crossed the Haverford grounds without any real direction in mind. He’d only ever seen the athletics building when he picked Nick up a few times after practice and was curious to see what the rest of such an elite institution looked like from the inside. The campus was quiet except for the distant sounds of the lacrosse game and the dull clunk of his own motorcycle boots on the stone walkways. Most of the students had gone home for the day already. He ran into the occasional teacher toting their briefcases towards their cars, but surprisingly no one paid him much notice aside from the odd backward glance. They must have been too eager to start their weekends to waste time hassling him because he knew full well that he stuck out at Haverford Academy like a sore thumb. He was four years too old to be a student and his worn leather jacket wasn’t exactly up to the strict uniform code.  
  
Jensen was passing through one of the covered cloisters that ran alongside the old stone buildings when he heard shouting coming from somewhere nearby. They were young mens’ voices punctuated by the thick thwack of fists connecting with flesh. It sounded like a fight. He ran towards where he thought they were coming from to see what was going on.  
  
As he rounded the corner of the building he saw them in the middle of the courtyard. Three teenage alphas, all of them wearing Haverford Academy Wrestling t-shirts, were beating up on a skinny floppy-haired kid.  
  
“Hey! Hey! Cut it out!” Jensen shouted, wading in the thick of the fight. He shoved the bullies back away from the defenseless boy who was cowering in a ball on the ground. “What the hell you do little pricks things you’re doing?”  
  
“Who are you? His bodyguard?” one of the boys asked with a smart-ass edge in his tone. He looked to be the ringleader of the bunch.  
  
“No,” Jensen replied with deadly calm. “I’m the guy who’s going to kick your ass if you ever even think of touching him again.”  
  
“Come on, Derek,” one of the other boys said. He was glancing around nervously and tugging on his friend’s arm. “Let’s get out of here. He’s going to get us in trouble.”  
  
“Yeah, man,” the third chimed in. “I can’t get another suspension. My dad will freak.”  
  
“You better listen to your friends, _Derek_ ,” Jensen warned. “Get lost.”  
  
Derek stared Jensen down like he was ready to take a swing at him, but after a few more insistent tugs on his arm from his buddy he stalked off mumbling angrily under his breath. The other two had to almost jog after him just to keep up.  
When they were gone, Jensen turned to the boy on the ground. “You okay, kid?”  
  
The boy sniffled, his eyes hidden by the long fringe of hair that had fallen over his downturned face. “Not really,” he answered shakily.  
  
He sounded so miserable that Jensen’s heart immediately went out to him. He always did have a soft spot for the underdogs. “Did they hurt you?” he asked. “Come on, stand up and let me get a look at you.”  
  
The boy wiped his face on the back of his shirtsleeve and stood up. He was taller than Jensen had expected him to be, all clumsy long arms and legs like a puppy that hadn’t yet grown into his feet. He raked a hand through his hair in an effort to tame it and exposed a two inch long cut over his eyebrow. It was shallow enough that it looked relatively harmless. The bruise on his chin however was old enough to already be turning an impressive array of colors. A sign that maybe this little run in with Derek and his crew wasn’t the first time. Otherwise his face was striking. He had hazel-blue eyes with flecks of gold in them, high cheekbones, and soft pink lips. Even the little mole next to his nose was somehow oddly alluring. Unfortunately, Jensen realized where his wayward mind was leading him a little too late. He’d taken an unconscious step closer to the boy, transfixed by how damn adorable he was, and in doing so he got his first real scent of him. As soon as he did, Jensen immediately understood why the other boys had been harassing him and why he was having a hard time keeping his own thoughts from turning R-rated at the moment.  
  
“You’re an omega,” Jensen said in disbelief. “And I think…are you in heat?”  
  
The boy blushed and looked away. “Y-yes. At least I t-think so. It’s my first time.”  
  
Jensen sniffed the air and wondered how he could have missed it before. There it was; the distinctly sweet scent of omega pheromones that drew alphas to them like a siren call. The smell hit him like a drug it was so intoxicating. It made him crave. It made him want to give in to his animal urges and just take with mindless abandon. Even the most level-headed alphas had a hard time controlling themselves around omegas in heat, and Jensen wasn’t exactly the poster boy for self-restraint. Still, he did his best to control himself for the kid’s sake.  
  
“How old are you?” Jensen asked, hoping that a reality check would help curb his raging hormones.  
  
“Sixteen.”  
  
Jensen’s dirty mind supplied the fact that sixteen technically qualified him as meeting the minimum legal age of consent in their state. He had a hard time remembering his own email password and yet his brain was able to deliver that little factoid with remarkable speed. Go fucking figure.  
  
“Don’t worry, kid. It’s a totally normal thing at your age. Happens to everybody,” Jensen told him, trying to make him feel a little better about the situation. “I’m Jensen, by the way. What’s your name?”  
  
“Jared. Jared Padalecki.” The kid stared at him with those cat-like eyes of his. They seemed to stare right through him. “You’re an alpha. But you don’t seem like _them_ though; Derek and his friends.  You wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”  
  
“No. No of course not,” he said taking a careful step back to allow some safe distance between them. He would never hurt Jared but the scent of his heat was so inviting that Jensen was finding it really damn hard not to reach out and touch him. He didn’t want to spook the kid after what had almost just happened to him. “So that’s why those guys were bothering you? Because you’re omega.”  
  
“That’s part of it. They’ve been picking on me ever since I transferred here but today was the worst,” Jared admitted. “They said that they’ve been waiting for me to go into heat so they could teach me what omegas were really meant for.” His chin started to wobble and he let out a slow steadying breath before he continued. “Derek tried to push me onto my knees but I wouldn’t stay down. I tried to fight back. That made him angry so he started punching me. That’s when you showed up.”  
  
Jensen’s blood started to boil. He wished he had cleaned that Derek kid’s clock when he had the chance. “None of that was your fault. You get that right? Alphas like that are fucking scum and they deserve to get their asses handed to them for what they did to you. Not all of us are like that.”  
  
Jared bit his lip, worrying it with his teeth. “I know,” he said quietly. He didn’t sound like he really believed it.  
  
Jensen figured it was a good time to change the subject. He didn’t want to let Jared dwell too much on Derek or those other assholes. If the kid started to cry Jensen didn’t trust himself not to just wrap him up in his arms. If that happened, he wasn’t confident that he’d be able to let go.  
  
“I don’t understand something,” he said, clearing his throat. “Fill me in, would ya? I didn’t think Haverford Academy allowed omegas.”  
  
“They don’t. I’m supposed to be the first,” the kid replied shyly. “But they don’t really want me here. Nobody here does.”  
  
The matter-of-fact tone that Jared used when he said it made Jensen angry all over again. How could anyone treat such a sweet kid like that? Making him feel like he wasn’t wanted. “That can’t be true,” he said, with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I mean If it was, then why did they let you in?”  
  
“My grandmother donated the money to build them a new auditorium. They kind of had to after that.”  
  
“Oh.” That made sense. Jensen had a hard time imagining how much money that must’ve cost but it had to be a _ton_. Jared’s grandmother sounded like a real ballsy old lady to pull a power play like that.  Unfortunately for Jared, the school didn’t seem to be holding up their end of the deal like they should.  No way would they allow any of their other students to be treated like this.  
  
“This is such bullshit,” he said, outraged on Jared’s behalf. “You’re an omega in a school full of entitled alpha brats. Doesn’t the administration have to do _something_ to make sure that you’re safe? I mean they had to know that this day was going to come eventually.”  
  
“They made me agree to board here full-time. Supposedly so that they could keep a better eye on me.”  
  
“They’re clearly doing a banner job of that,” Jensen snarked.  
  
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was just so they could charge my grandmother more money,” Jared agreed. “Then they gave me heat suppressants to take so I wouldn’t go into heat until after I graduated. At least that’s what was supposed to happen. Derek and his friends stole my backpack two weeks ago. My pills were in the outside pocket.”  
  
Jensen wanted to put his fist through something. Preferably Derek’s face. The little shit had been planning this. “Did you tell anyone about it? The school nurse? Your parents?”  
  
“The nurse, Ms. Claybourne, said that because it wasn’t an emergency priority that she’d send for more when she got around to it. I guess she hasn’t yet,” Jared said with a shrug. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his grass-stained khaki pants. “And my parents can’t do anything to help because they’re dead.”  
  
“Shit, Jared. I’m sorry.” Jensen felt awful for him.  Life seemed to have dealt Jared a pretty crappy hand so far.  It just wasn’t fair.  No one seemed to be looking out for him when he so clearly needed protecting.  
  
“It’s okay.” Jared said, dropping his eyes to the ground. “It was a car accident; Christmas Eve of last year. A stupid drunk driver.” His jaw twitched, tension evident there at the bitter memory. “My grandmother took me in after that. She was the one who wanted me to go here just like my dad did. She thought it would be good for me, you know? It’s one of the best schools in the country and she knew that my dad made a lot of friends while he was here.” The way Jared said it made it sound like making friends wasn’t something he considered himself to be very good at. “Then the Haverford admissions people told us no and it became like her mission in life to get me in anyway. That’s why a lot of people here hated me before I even showed up.”  
  
“People get freaked out with change; anything that’s different or anything that they can’t control.” Jensen told him, speaking from personal experience. “They think it’s going to rock their boat.  Especially when they’re narrow-minded jerks.”  
  
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jared said, glancing up to meet Jensen’s eyes.  The corners of Jared’s mouth curved up in a small smile.  Dimples appeared like parenthesis on either side of his cheeks.  
  
Jensen wanted him even more in that moment, if that was possible.  He wanted to see him smile like that all the time. What’s more, he wanted to be the reason for that smile.  
  
He shook his head, trying to physically clear the thought from his mind. It had to be Jared’s heat. That was the only explanation for why he was going all soft-hearted for the kid. Part of him was ready to bolt, get the hell out of there before he got any more involved than he already was. But another part of him was genuinely concerned for Jared. He felt responsible for making sure that he was going to be okay.  
  
“You, um, you can’t talk to your grandmother about any of this?” Jensen asked.  “She sounds like somebody who can make shit happen when she wants to.  I bet she’d raise all kinds of hell if she found out about what life is really like here for you.”  
  
Jared’s face fell. “I can’t.  She worked so hard just to get me in.  I want her to think I’m okay, you know?  I don’t want to let her down.”  
  
“You’re not letting anyone down.”  Before he could think better of it, Jensen closed some of the distance between them and put a comforting hand on Jared’s shoulder.  
  
Big mistake. Big fucking mistake.  
  
Jensen couldn’t help but react to the heat pheromones circling between them when they were so close to each other. Jared’s skin was warm to the touch under his white uniform dress shirt.  It would be so easy to yank it open and send those cute little buttons flying into the grass.  Jensen could feel his cock starting to get hard just thinking about pinning Jared to the ground and getting his hands on that long, lean little body of his.  He really needed to take a step back but he just couldn’t seem to make his feet cooperate.  
  
Jared looked up at him, his pretty hazel eyes so large and so innocent.  “I’m not?”  
  
“No way.” Jensen smiled, using it to mask how hard he was gritting his teeth trying to keep himself in check.  Jared needed a friendly ear and some confidence-boosting right now, not another creepy guy hungry to get into his pants. “What if you just told your grandmother about the pills so she could make sure you got a new batch of them?” he suggested helpfully. “It’s probably not going to do you much good now but, you know, for next time. You don’t have to tell her they got taken if you don’t want to.  Maybe you could just say you lost them or something.  People lose things all the time and it’s no big deal, right?”  
  
“I don’t know.  I guess I could.” Jared blushed and dropped his eyes, toeing at a patch of dirt with the tip of his shiny black uniform shoes. “It’s hard to talk to her about that stuff, you know?” He glanced up at Jensen through the thick fringe of his lashes. “I mean, would you want to talk to your grandmother about your sex life?”  
  
Jensen’s brain nearly short-circuited just hearing him say the word _sex_.  “My s-sex life?” he sputtered, yanking his hand away from Jared’s shoulder hastily.  “That’s really not…I mean, when I was your age…”  _Fuck_ , _no_. That was not a safe train of thought.  He’d been a little slut at Jared’s age to be honest, trying to piss his father off by flaunting his trysts with much older and very married conquests.  Most of which had been the mates of his father’s friends.  
  
“Nevermind, I’m a bad example.  What, ah, what do you even know about it?” Jensen asked, hoping the question came out a hell of a lot more casually than he meant it.  “You’re sixteen. You don’t even _have_ a sex life.  Do you?”  
  
Just thinking about the young omega and the subject of sex conjured all kinds of images in Jensen’s mind that he wasn’t exactly proud of.  Jared spread out for him, all flushed pink and begging.  Those gorgeous eyes going heavy-lidded with arousal and his bubble-gum mouth falling open when Jensen finally gave him what he wanted.  It was criminally fucking hot.  The thought of anyone else getting to see Jared like that made him feel just a little bit unhinged.  
  
“No.”  Jared rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, a little bashful smile playing at the corner of his lips.  “Not yet.”  
  
If Jensen didn’t know better he could have sworn that the kid was _flirting_ with him.  Jared had to be feeling the effects of his heat starting to kick in by now.  He knew full well that Jensen was an alpha but he didn’t seem to be shying away from him at all.  Fuck, didn’t he realize what could happen?  Of course he did.  Derek had made that point for him loud and clear.  But then why wasn’t he freaking out or at least trying to get a safe distance away?  Unless…  
  
Jensen could see a line of sweat trickling down under Jared’s jaw.  It was a struggle not to chase it with his tongue. “Do you know how old I am, Jared?”  
  
Jared looked up at him, absently playing with the end of his navy blue school tie. “Too old to be in high school.”  
  
“I’m twenty-two.” Jensen informed him. He was sure he had a point he was trying to make with that but he couldn’t quite seem to find it.  Not when Jared’s tongue darted out to moisten his bottom lip.  
  
“That’s not so old,” Jared replied, answering a question that Jensen hadn’t fully realized he’d been asking.  He ducked his head shyly and took a cautious step closer, as if he was nervous that the movement was going to scare Jensen off.  
  
Truth was, nothing short of a nuclear attack would have moved Jensen from that spot.  “No?” he heard himself ask.  
  
“No.” Jared took another half step closer, until Jensen could almost feel the heat of his body.  He reached out and picked a possibly imaginary piece of lint off Jensen’s t-shirt, then glanced up at him quickly, his eyes wide and dark with the thrill of his boldness.  “So you’re not a student, and I know you’re not a teacher.  What are you doing here then?”  
  
Jensen nearly swallowed his tongue, which made it hard for his mouth to form a coherent response.  “Nick.  He’s a player.  I mean a captain.  I mean, he plays lacrosse and he’s the captain of the team.  He’s my cousin.  And he goes here.  I came to watch him play but I hate it.  Lacrosse.  Not Nick.  Nick’s cool.  Do you know him?  He’s a senior.”  He held his breath to stop himself from rambling and making even a bigger fool of himself.  His self control was hanging by a very thin thread.  He was afraid that if he even breathed too hard on it then it would snap.  
  
“Yeah, I’ve seen him around.  He’s one of the popular guys.” Jared nodded.  He had to tilt his neck back to look Jensen in the eye they were so close now.  A stray lock of hair fell across his forehead. “He seems nice though.”  
  
Before he could think better of it, Jensen gently brushed the chestnut strands back with his forefinger.  He didn’t miss the way Jared’s eyes closed for a second when he did it.  “Yeah, he’s a good guy,” he murmured, mostly to himself.  He could barely concentrate anymore on what he was saying.  They both seemed to be using the cover of idle conversation to avoid acknowledging what was really happening between.  Now it was just down to which one of them was going to drop the façade first.  
  
“You smell really good,” Jared commented, his tone going a little breathy at the end.  He rested his right hand lightly against Jensen’s chest, leaned closer, and took a deep breath in.  “Like…alpha.”  
  
Jensen’s hands came up without his permission to frame Jared’s tiny waist.  “I do?” he asked huskily.  
  
Jared licked his lips, his eyes almost glowing now they were so fever bright.  “I feel funny.”  
  
“You do?” Jensen had a pretty good idea of what he meant by that.  Jared’s heat must be peaking hard if he’d been able to handle it up until that point without so much as a complaint.  He was going to need some relief and soon.  Jensen wasn’t sure how deep the boy was into the throes of it but he knew that a heat that wasn’t properly contained could make an omega deathly ill.  “Funny bad or funny good?” he asked, just to be safe.  
  
“Good,” Jared replied thickly. “Really good.”  He seemed slightly dazed, the heat now starting to affect him more severely.  Suddenly he moved in and pressed himself into Jensen’s body, tucking his head against Jensen’s chest like it was his safe place.  “I like you,” he sighed, cuddling against him contentedly.  
  
Jensen knew full well he should have taken off a long time ago.  Instead, he’d let his hormones convince him to play with fire.  Now it was too late.  He couldn’t just leave the kid like this.  Jared was a _virgin_.  He might not know what to do on his own.  What’s worse, Derek and his friends might get it into their heads to come looking for him again.  Just the thought of it had Jensen hugging his arms around the boy protectively.  
  
“Jared, listen to me,” he said. “We need to go. Your heat is getting worse.  We need to get you someplace safe where you can ride it out.  You said you board here on campus right?  Can you show me where your dorm room is?”  
  
“Sure,” Jared replied.  He wiggled out of Jensen’s grasp with a mile wide grin on his face and starting off jogging towards one of the older brick buildings on the other side of the courtyard.  “Come on!” he called out behind him.  “It’s this way!”  
  
Jensen sighed heavily and followed after him at a walk.  He didn’t think he could take much more before his balls turned blue and fell off.  He was going to help the kid as much as he could but he told himself that he _wasn’t_ going to touch him.  The heat was already making Jared loopy.  He probably wasn’t in the best position to be making decisions for himself.  That meant Jensen would have to do it for him, and as far as he was concerned the best thing for everyone would be if Jared could get through this without getting too attached to him.  
  
No one who knew Jensen would have ever called him responsible.  Point of fact, he took a certain amount of pride in being as irresponsible as he could possibly get away with.  His boss, Jeff, at the auto body shop who was currently missing part of his left eyebrow could attest to that.  But this was different.  This was Jared’s first heat, something that he’d never forget.  Jensen didn’t want him to look back on it later with too many regrets.  That's why he was going to fucking behave himself and make sure that Jared got through the worst of it safely.  Then he’d take off and they could both get on with their lives.  
  
He fished in his pocket for his cell phone and sent a quick text to Nick to let him know he’d catch up with him tomorrow. Jared was going to need his full attention for the next few hours at least.  He was determined do whatever he could to make sure that the kid was going to be okay.  The only problem was Jensen wasn’t sure how _he_ was ever going survive it.


	2. Chapter 2

According to Jared, the dormitory that he lived in was specially designated as an Omegas Only Residence but since he was the only omega student at Haverford Academy he pretty much had the run of the place to himself.  As Jensen soon found out however, the so-called dormitory was barely habitable.  It looked like it had originally been used as an infirmary before the school had been forced to open it up as emergency special needs housing for their newest student.  
  
They passed by several offices and examination rooms on the first floor, all of them locked, then climbed a wide staircase to the second.  The second floor was made up of one enormous room flanked on both sides by a row of beds set against tall paneled windows. The building was so quiet and so deserted that it felt like it had been abandoned, left frozen in time just as it had been who-knew-how-many years ago when it’s last patient was discharged. Jensen didn’t know how anyone could expect a sixteen year old boy to live in such a gloomy place.  
  
The only sign of life was in the far corner of the room which Jared had commandeered for himself.  He had movie posters taped to the stark white walls, a blue bedspread, and a colorful patchwork quilt neatly folded at the foot of it - obviously his grandmother’s handiwork. The bed next to him had been pushed aside to make room for a battered old wooden desk, most likely liberated from one of the offices downstairs.  A pile of school books and a sticker-covered laptop were strewn open across the top of it.  It looked like any other teenager’s space, and Jensen was quietly impressed that Jared had been able to make a little nest of normality for himself out of what most people would have considered a prison.  
  
“So you have this whole place to yourself, huh?” Jensen asked, looking around the room at the other beds with their bare mattresses.  “No one else comes in here?”  
  
“Just me,” Jared said, flopping down on his bed.  “And Carl.”  
  
“Carl?” Jensen was immediately on alert.  “Who’s Carl?”  
  
“He’s the night guard.  He comes by at nine o’clock to make sure that I’m in before curfew and that all the doors are locked up safe for the night.  Then he comes and unlocks them for me again in the morning.”  
  
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Jensen exclaimed.  “They lock you in?  That’s got to be illegal.  It's a fire hazard or something at least.  It’s inhumane!”  
  
“Jensen, his whole building is probably a fire hazard,” Jared said flatly with a resigned shrug. “It belongs to them just like pretty much everything else in this town.  They can do whatever they want.  Nobody’s going to say or do anything about it.”  
  
“Don’t you care?” Jensen demanded.  He didn’t understand how anyone could just put up with this kind of treatment. The whole school should be put under investigation for anti-omega discrimination and whatever other crimes the state could charge them with to get the damn place shut down.  “Doesn’t this shit make you mad?  Cause I’ve been here for about a minute and I’m ready to ring somebody’s neck.”  
  
“Of course, I care!” Jared shouted back at him.  
  
There was a flash of anger in his eyes that was simmering right there under the surface. Jensen hadn’t noticed it before but seeing the quiet ferocity of it now shut him up completely. There was a lot more fight in this kid than he’d first thought.  
  
“You think I like being treated like a freak?” Jared continued.  “I fucking hate it!  I hate everything about this place.  I only deal with it because I have to.  They’re using me for my grandmother’s money so I’m going to use them for their reputation.  When I graduate from here I’ll be able to get into any one of the top law schools in the country.  Then I’m going to become a lawyer just like my dad was.  I’m going to help people just like he did.  And I’m not going to let anyone or anything stop me from making that happen.”  
  
Jensen took a seat next to him on the bed. “I believe it,” he said, looking Jared right in the eye.  He wanted him to know that he meant every word he was saying.  “I think you’re the kind of person who could do just about anything that you put your mind to.  Not all of us can.  That makes you pretty special in my book.”  
  
The tension in Jared’s posture seemed to relax a bit.  “You really think so?” he asked hopefully.  
  
“Yeah, I do.” Jensen fought the urge to just lean over and kiss away the little furrow of worry between Jared’s eyebrows like he wanted to.  That wasn’t going to help either of them in the long run.  He should really get them down to business so he could get out of there.  “How are you feeling now?” he asked, trying to get the precedings back on track.  
  
“Hot. It’s really hot in here, isn’t it?” Jared kicked his shoes off and pulled his school tie off over his head, tossing it carelessly on top of his algebra book.  He wiped off the sweat that was beading up on his brow.  “I’m sorry I yelled.  I don’t know why I did that.”  
  
“Don’t be sorry.  You didn’t do anything wrong.  I fly off the handle sometimes and I’ve got a bad case of chronic foot-in-mouth disease.  Ask anybody,” Jensen assured him. “But listen, I think you’re heat is spiking up.  That’s why you feel hot.  Did anyone talk to you at all about it?”  
  
“They showed us a video in health class,” Jared offered. “The Omega Reproductive System and Birth Cycle.  It was pretty gross.”  
  
Jensen did his best not to think about what that video might have contained.  “Okay that probably covers the mechanics of it.  But did they tell you the kinds of things that need to be done to manage your heat?”  
  
Jared’s cheeks turned pink.  He looked down at the bedspread and absently picked at a loose thread.  “They said I need an alpha to knot me,” he replied softly, some of his earlier shyness returning.  He glanced over at Jensen out of the corner of his eye like he was too nervous to look at him directly.  “Are you going to knot me, Jensen?”

That question asked in such an innocent tone almost destroyed him.  The erection Jensen had before in response to Jared’s heat had flagged with a considerable amount of concentration on his part but now it was coming back with a vengeance.  His body was practically ringing with a resounding "yes" but he didn’t want to give in to it.  
  
“No,” he said.  He shifted in his seat, adjusting himself as covertly as possible.  “But there are other ways to make it better.  I can tell you what to do so that you can take care of it yourself.”  
  
“Oh,” Jared replied, his face still downcast.  He sounded disappointed and a little bit hurt. “You don’t want to?  I thought that maybe, you know, that you kinda liked me.  I like you.”  
  
“No! That’s not it at all,” Jensen said quickly. “I like you just fine.  I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”  The last thing he wanted was to make Jared think badly of himself about this. _He_ wasn’t the problem.  Jensen didn’t know how to explain it to him in a way that would maintain the trust the kid seemed to have placed in him, no matter how misguided it was. He knew he was a blue-collar nobody with a rap sheet of misdemeanors long enough to choke a horse but Jared didn’t need to know that.  To save himself the shame of explaining what a piece of shit he really was, he decided to try another tactic.  
  
“What if you don’t get your pills or if something happens to them again?  What if I’m not around next time you need help?” he pointed out to Jared.  “Don’t you think you should learn how to do it yourself just in case?”  
  
Luckily for him, his lie seemed to work. “Yeah, I guess so,” Jared begrudgingly agreed.  
  
“Jared, look at me,” Jensen said, waiting patiently until the boy met his eyes. “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay, I promise.”  
  
When Jared nodded in agreement, he sent up a silent plea for strength that he’d be able to get through this next part just as easily. “Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “If you feel weirded out or uncomfortable with any of this you just tell me and we’ll stop, got it?”  
  
“I got it.”  
  
“Good.” Jensen brought his knee up on the bed so that he could sit facing Jared head on. “So the first thing that you want to do when you go into heat is to take the edge off a little bit so it doesn’t get a chance to build up too high. You’re a teenager so I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with how to jerk off by now, am I right?”  
  
Jared laughed a little bashfully. “Yeah, I’m familiar.”  
  
Seeing Jared laugh brightened Jensen’s mood a little. Maybe this didn’t need to be torture for him after all if he could keep it light, like it really was just about one guy helping another guy out. “Alright then,” he said with a smile. “I’m going to give you some privacy. You do your thing and I’ll be back in a little bit to check on you.”  
  
He was about to get up and leave when Jared’s hand shot out and grabbed his forearm to stop him. “Wait!” Jared blurted out. “I don’t want you to go. Can you stay? Please? It might…” He let go of Jensen’s arm like he’d just realized what he’d done and was a little ashamed of himself. “Sorry. I just think it might…help…if you were here. If you watched me through it.”  
  
A better man might have been able to stay firm to his resolve and let Jared down gently. Unfortunately for himself, Jensen was not that man. “O-okay,” he agreed shakily.  
  
Jared gave him a nervous little half smile, then stood up and started to undress. He unbuttoned his uniform shirt and shucked it off, leaving him in just his white cotton undershirt. Then he undid his belt and stripped off his pants. Underneath he wore blue plaid boxers that were already tented obscenely.  
  
Jensen swallowed hard, unable to look away.  
  
Jared was almost trembling when he sat back down on the bed. This was already probably more than he’d ever shown of himself to another person before and Jensen could tell that he was anxious. That didn’t seem to stop him though. He scooted back to prop himself up against his pillow, shot a quick look at Jensen, then pulled his cock out through the front flap of his boxers. It was long for his slight frame and flushed red with arousal. He made the prettiest little whimper when he closed his fist around it and began tugging it in slow strokes.  
  
Jensen sucked in a breath. He couldn’t believe he was actually watching this happen right in front of him. With his finely tuned alpha senses he could smell Jared’s arousal, his heat, and now he was getting a front row seat to a show that this gorgeous boy was giving him. Any other alpha would have lost his mind by now. Jensen thought he should be receiving some sort of medal for this. A golden cockring seemed appropriate.  
  
Jared paused for a second to spit into his hand and then rubbed it up and down his cock, his hand gliding easier now over the wet skin. He made a breathy little moan of pleasure at the sensation.  
  
“That’s it,” Jensen murmured despite himself. He was clutching the top of his thigh, digging his fingernails into the denim of his jeans just for the distraction of the pain.  
  
Jared’s eyes flew up and locked on Jensen’s face. They were dark with need and a little wild. He licked his lips and started stroking himself faster. A shiny bead of precome weeped out of his slit.  
  
“You like me watching you, huh?” Jensen said, seeing the answer clear as day on the boy’s face. They’d already taken it this far, might as well make himself useful. He could talk Jared through it, help him come faster and get the release that he needed. “It turns you on, doesn’t it?”  
  
Jared bit his lip, his expression a little unsure and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.  
  
“It’s okay,” Jensen told him. “There’s nothing dirty about it. Nothing to be ashamed of.” He inched toward Jared on the bed, making himself stop before he got too close. “I think it’s hot.”  
  
“Yeah?” Jared asked, half-moaning the word. His nipples were hard little nubs poking up under his undershirt.  
  
“Fuck yeah, I do,” Jensen said with a wicked smile. “You’re gorgeous. Don’t you know that? Seeing you like this – it’s just about the hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”  
  
Jared squirmed a little on the bed, his fist moving rhythmically up and down his cock. “Feels good.”  
  
“I bet it does. Jacking that pretty cock of yours like pro. Got it so hard that it’s leaking.” Jensen watched as another blurt of precome dripped down his shaft. “I bet your hole is starting to get wet by now too. Your heat is gonna be making it all slick like it’s never been before.”  
  
Jared let out a little whimper and nodded his head yes loosely like a puppet on a string.  
  
Jensen had to push the heel of his palm down against the base of his cock he was so turned on. “Come on, baby. Jerk yourself off for me. I wanna see how hot you look when you come.”  
  
Jared sped up his motions, jacking his cock and adding a little twisting motion on the upstroke with a turn of his wrist. He let his head fall back a little, his eyes going half-closed but still never leaving Jensen’s face.  
  
“That’s it,” Jensen said. “Just let yourself go.”  
  
A few more strokes and Jared was coming with a satisfied groan, milky spurts of painting his stomach.  
  
Jensen squeezed his own erection inside the confines of his jeans. He was so damn hard just watching Jared that it almost hurt. “Good boy,” he said. “That feels better, doesn’t it?”  
  
“Yeah,” Jared mumbled. The tension in his body was gone now that his heat was sated for the moment. “S’good.”  
  
“We’re not finished yet,” Jensen told him. “It’s going to build up again soon.” He knew from experience with other omegas he’d been with that the first orgasm was only the beginning. When the heat hit again it would just come back harder until Jared’s body got what it wanted.  
  
Jared yanked his stained tank top off over his head and used it to wipe the come off of himself. He chucked it onto the floor by his pants. “Then we get to do that again?” he asked, tucking his spent cock back into his boxers. “That’s not so bad.”  
  
“It probably won’t be enough.” Jensen dragged a hand down his face, wondering if death by blue balls was an actual thing or just an urban legend. He felt like he was about to find out. “Have you ever fingered yourself?”  
  
Jared’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “N-n-no,” he sputtered. “Never.”  
  
“It’s not as dirty as it sounds,” Jensen assured him. “Your ass was made to take a knot, remember. You’re a nice clean kid, right? You shower everyday and keep yourself clean?”  
  
“Y-yeah,” Jared said, clearing his throat a little awkwardly. “Of course I do.”  
  
“Okay, then you’ll be just fine.”  
  
Jared looked at him with skepticism, a little line of worry on his brow. “Will you talk to me like you did before? Tell me what do to so I do it right?”  
  
Jensen had never met someone who did this to him before. Made him want to cuddle them protectively almost as much as he wanted to fuck them senseless. “I promised I would make sure you’re okay, didn’t I? Do you trust me?”  
  
“I do.” Jared nodded his head adamantly. “I trust you.”  
  
A nagging little voice inside his head laughed sarcastically at that, but Jensen blocked it out. He was doing the right thing, damn it. The kid might even thank him for it someday. Maybe.  
  
“Good. That’s good,” Jensen said. “How about you take your boxers off then and I’ll guide you through it?”  
  
Jared did as he was told, wriggling out of his underwear quickly and dropping them on the floor. He sat naked on the bed, waiting obediently for his next instruction.  
  
“Flip over and get on your hands and knees. It will be easier for me to see what you’re doing that way.”  
  
Jared obeyed. He knelt on the bed with his knees about a foot apart, his balls and his soft cock hanging between his legs. He looked good enough to eat.  
  
“Good. Now reach behind yourself and rub your finger over your hole. See how it feels.”  
  
Jared slipped a finger between the cleft of his cheeks, searching for his pucker. He made a little noise of pleasure in his throat. “Feels wet.”  
  
“Yeah, I bet it does. That means your heat is coming back soon. Spread your legs a little wider and see if you can slip your finger inside. Not too fast. You’re a virgin so it’s going to be real tight. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”  
  
Jared shifted his knees and pushed his index finger through the tight seal of his rim. “Oh,” he moaned, almost sounding surprised at the feel of it.  
  
Jensen squeezed down on his erection through his jeans. He wanted in there so bad. “Yeah, that feels good, doesn’t it?”  
  
“Mmhmm,” Jared hummed, moving his finger around experimentally. “S’nice. I like it.”  
  
“Good, boy,” Jensen said, his words coming out perilously close to a groan. “Keep going. Fuck yourself with your finger.”  
  
Jared was breathing heavily, sliding his finger in and out. His cock seemed to be chubbing up again already in response to the new sensations he was no doubt feeling.  
  
“Nice and easy,” Jensen directed him. “Twist your finger a little. You want to loosen up your hole a bit. Get it nice and slick. Massage the muscle until you think it’s ready to take two of your fingers.”  
  
Jared worked himself on his finger, twisting it like he was told. “It’s too tight,” he whined in frustration.  
  
“It’s okay, just be patient with yourself. There’s no rush.” Jensen opened the front of his jeans, sighing in relief to get some of the pressure off of his dick. With Jared facing away from him he figured he could get away with it. He was so hard that he was leaking a wet patch into the front of his boxer briefs. “You’re doing so good, baby.”  
  
Jared whimpered in response, his cock twitching in excitement.  
  
“Oh, you like that?” Jensen said, rubbing his hand over his cloth-covered dick. “You like hearing me tell you what a good boy you are?  
  
“Yes,” Jared moaned, fucking himself a little deeper. “M-m-makes me hot all over.”  
  
Jensen couldn’t help himself. He was starting to feel hot all over too. He pushed the band of his underwear down under his balls, letting his erection spring free. He stroked it, lavishing praise on Jared. “That’s good. I want you to feel good, Jared. You’re being so good, doing everything that I tell you. Such a sweet little omega. Come on, keep working that tight little hole. You can do it.”  
  
Jared leaned down, pressing his face and chest into the bed so that he could reach behind himself and hold his ass open with his free hand. He tried adding a second finger in next to the first and it slid in with some gentle coaxing. “Oh god,” he moaned.  
  
“Good boy,” Jensen said, his voice rough with lust. He thumbed a drop of precome down his shaft. “Feels good, right? Stretching yourself open.”  
  
Jared was making little noises, fucking himself in earnest now. His cock was fully hard again and there was a trail of slick leaking down from his hole where his fingers were plunging in deep. “Yeah,” he cried, his voice muffled against the bed. His body was glistening with sweat. “So good.”  
  
“Fuck, you look so hot right now, baby,” Jensen groaned, squeezing his cock.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared moaned desperately. He turned his head to the side, pressing the right side of his face into the bedspread. “I can’t…I need…”  
  
“What, baby? What do you need? Tell me.”  
  
Jared craned his neck to look behind himself. His eyes widened when he saw what Jensen was doing. “Oh my god, yes.” he moaned, drawing out each word plaintively.  
  
“I can’t help myself,” Jensen confessed. “You’re so fucking hot, Jared. Spread out naked and fucking yourself. Taking those fingers so good. I think you need one more. What do you think?”  
  
“Yes,” Jared cried. “Need more.” He kept his eyes on Jensen as he fit a third finger in next to the other ones. “Oh fuck.” He rocked back against his hand, his hole squelching with slick.  
  
“Good boy,” Jensen said. He could feel himself getting closer to the edge. “Think you can make yourself come like that?”  
  
“I-I don’t know,” Jared panted, fucking himself harder. “It feels good but…”  
  
“But what?”  
  
“I can’t do it. Not deep enough.” The boy was practically trembling, his body was so tense with need. “Please, Jensen. I want you.”  
  
Jensen moaned. He felt like he was going to die if he didn’t come soon. His earlier rationale for not just taking Jared like they both so desperately wanted was making less and less sense with every ticking second. “Jared, I can’t.”  
  
“Yes, you can. I want you to.” Jared cried. He looked close to tears. “Please, I need you. Want your knot.”  
  
Jensen shifted closer, his eyes on Jared’s fingers sliding in and out of his shiny pink hole. “Jesus, I want to fuck you so bad.”  
  
“Please,” Jared begged shamelessly. “Please, alpha.”  
  
That did it. Jensen could almost hear his control snap when Jared called him alpha. He scrambled to shove his pants and his underwear down to his knees. “Okay, okay, shhh,” Jensen said, kneeling behind him. He grabbed Jared’s wrist to still it and then gently pulled until Jared’s fingers slipped free of his ass. His tiny hole was messy with slick, clutching at nothing now that it was worked open and empty. “Just relax. I’ll take care of you.”  
  
Jared braced himself up on his elbows, tilting his hips and presenting his ass to Jensen.  
  
Jensen grabbed one firm round asscheek and held it open, lining up the head of his cock with Jared’s hole. “Alright baby, I’m gonna fuck you now. It might hurt a little at first, but it’ll feel good soon I promise. Now breath out.”  
  
Jared breathed out and Jensen pushed in slowly. The boy’s little virgin hole was slick but despite how much he’d already loosened it up it was still so tight around Jensen’s cock it was almost painful. Jensen swore a blue streak under his breath, sure that he’d died and gone to heaven. Jared hissed in pain and writhed underneath him.  
  
“Easy,” Jensen soothed him. He grabbed Jared’s hips and pushed in until he was buried to the hilt. “Relax. Let your body get used to it. I’m not gonna move until you’re ready.”  
  
Jared was breathing hard but his inner muscles quickly adjusting to the stretch. “Feels so big inside me.”  
  
Jensen rubbed Jared’s back in big lazy circles to calm him. “You’re doing so good. Taking my cock like a good boy.”  
  
Jared shifted, moving his hips a little to test the feel of things. “Nngh,” he groaned. “I think – I think I’m ready.”  
  
“Okay.” Jensen started thrusting shallowly at first, just getting Jared used to the sensation. Once he set his rhythm he was gone - just riding the feel of Jared under him, around him, clutching him tight. “Oh god, Jared you feel so damn good. Fucking perfect.”  
  
Jared moaned, pushing back against him and wordlessly encouraging him on.  
  
Jensen thrust harder. “Such a perfect little omega. You want me to knot you, baby?”  
  
“Yes!” Jared cried. “Please, Jensen.”  
  
He leaned over Jared and wrapped his arms around the boy’s waist, pumping his hips fast and wild. With his hand splayed over Jared’s stomach he could feel the bulge of his own cock as he pounded as deep as he could get. “Fuck, oh fuck, yes.” His knot was starting to grow, the swell of it catching on Jared’s rim as it popped in and out with each thrust.  
  
Jared cried out, gripping the bedspread in his fists.  
  
“Hold on.” Jensen ground his growing knot against Jared’s hole until it slipped in as gently as he could manage. Once it was in, Jared’s muscles clamped down around it, locking them together. Jensen made shallow little thrusts, pressing his knot against Jared’s prostate. “Yes! Come on, baby. Want you to come for me.”  
  
Jared bucked against him, screaming in pleasure as he came before he could even get a hand on his dick. His hole clenched as his orgasm rocked through his young body. Jensen could feel it practically milking his cock. He started coming seconds after Jared did, stars exploding behind his eyes. His jaw went slack on a silent moan and he dug his fingertips into the sharp ridges of the boy’s hipbones for purchase. Jared slumped down, resting his forehead against the bed in exhaustion.  
  
“Jared?” Jensen asked, his mind still somewhat spinning in an orgasmic haze. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”  
  
“Awesome,” Jared said, dragging the word out long. He was flying high now that his body was buzzing with pleasure. “I feel all warm and…full.”  
  
“That’s my come filling you up, baby,” Jensen told him. He grazed his fingertips up Jared’s flanks, enjoying watching the muscles dance under his skin when he shivered slightly in response. “It’ll make that nasty heat go away.”  
  
Moving gently so as not to cause Jared any discomfort, Jensen guided them both to lie on their sides. They were going to be locked together for the next little while before his knot deflated enough to slip out of Jared’s body without hurting him. The kid was spooned against him, holding tight to the arm he had slung across his skinny chest. It was strange, being still mostly clothed while the boy in his arms was completely naked but it was erotic in its own way. He could feel his own heart beating fast, his cock twitching inside the boy’s tight little body as it flooded him with come. Jared let out a happy little sigh and Jensen felt a bone deep satisfaction like he hadn’t felt in years. He wasn’t sure but he had a feeling that it wasn’t all to do with the sex. There was something about the lonely little omega that called to him in a much deeper way.  If he were looking to settle down, which he wasn't damnit _he wasn't_ , Jared would be pretty much everything he would have wanted.  
  
“I’m sorry, Jensen,” Jared mumbled sleepily.  
  
Jensen leaned up on his elbow, staring down at him in confusion. “What do you have to be sorry for?”  
  
“I know you wanted me to learn how to do it on my own,” he replied, frowning a little to himself. “I just couldn’t.”  
  
Jensen’s pleasant mood plummeted. He felt terrible for making the kid feel like he had anything to apologize for. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, rubbing the top of Jared’s arm. “You did everything right. It was my fault. I shouldn’t known that it wouldn’t be enough, not for your first time in heat. But, it will get easier now that you’ve been knotted. The worst is over. You’ll be feeling the effects for the next couple of days but it won’t be as intense. You should be able to make yourself come on your own if you’re patient with it and you just listen to what your body is telling you it likes.”  
  
“You sure know a lot about omegas,” Jared said, in a small voice. “I guess you’ve done this with a lot of people.”  
  
“I’ve done stuff like this with a lot of omegas, yeah,” Jensen confessed. “But I don’t think I’ve ever been with anyone like you.” He meant it too. He’d never met anyone like Jared. No one had ever put such blind faith in him like this before. It made him feel more special and more important than he any right to.  
  
“Really?”  
  
Jensen held him a little tighter. “Yes, really. Cross my heart.”  
  
“I’m glad it was you,” Jared said, hugging Jensen’s arm against his chest. “I’m glad you were my first. I don’t know what I would have done without you here. The way you talk to me. The way you make me feel. I just…Thank you, Jensen.”  
  
His words were like a knife twisting their way into Jensen’s heart. He knew he didn’t deserve them. He didn’t deserve such a sweet little omega like Jared.  
  
“Quiet now. You should rest.” Jensen extracted his arm from Jared’s grasp and began rubbing his back in long gentle strokes. “Go ahead and take a nap if you want. You’ve earned it.”  
  
Jared made a contented little sigh and let his eyelids fall closed. “You’ll be here when I wake up, right?”  
  
Jensen cursed himself for what he was about to do. He couldn’t stay.  He could feel himself already getting attached to the kid and that wasn’t good for anyone.  If he were being completely honest, it wasn't so much about not wanting to be tied down, not anymore.  Maybe he'd warned himself off of the kid with that when they'd first met, but somewhere along the way as he'd gotten to know Jared better that excuse had fallen apart at the seams.  What worried him most now was that Jared shouldn't being tied down to _him_.  
  
Jared was going to be a _lawyer_ someday.  He was going to make a difference.  The last thing he needed was an alpha with a chip on his shoulder for authority who drank too much, screwed around, and could barely hold down a mechanic’s job.  Jensen wasn’t equipped to be the kind of model citizen that Jared should be with.  He was used to living his life fast and loose.  He’d been doing things that way since he’d left home five years ago.  He was afraid that he didn’t know how to be anything other than what he was – a fuck up.  
  
“Yeah, I’ll be here,” he lied. He grabbed Jared’s pillow from the top of the bed and helped him tuck it under his head, making him as comfortable as possible. “Be a good boy and sleep now.”  
  
Jared smiled to himself, his lashes fanned out prettily on the tops of his cheeks.  He was fast asleep in no time.  
Jensen watched his angelic little face as he dozed until Jared’s breathing was slow and even.  As soon as he felt like his knot was completely deflated and his cock had gone soft, he slipped free from the boy’s hole as gently as he could. Jared stirred a little in his sleep but he was so exhausted that he didn’t wake. Quietly, Jensen eased himself off the bed and put his clothes back in order, using Jared’s discarded undershirt to clean himself up. Before he left, he took the quilt at the foot of bed and covered the boy’s sleeping body with it. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.  
  
It was getting dark when he walked outside. Nick’s lacrosse game was long over. The lampposts along the campus walkways were already lit and casting halos of yellowish light onto the pavement below them. Jensen circled the perimeter of the building, checking every door and possible point of access. When he was satisfied that it was reasonably secure, he went and got his car and parked it in one of the faculty only lots facing the front entrance. He was going to keep guard over that door until Carl the night watchman took over. No one was getting in while Jared was slept. Not that bully Derek, not his spineless friends – no one.  
  
He sat there alone in his car outside Jared’s makeshift dorm for hours. Three different times he almost went back in. The kid had to be awake by then and wondering what had happened or what made him leave. Jensen felt horrible for how he must have felt when he woke up alone but he figured that it was better if he made a clean break. Better that Jared hate him a little now so that they could move on with their lives.  
  
At five minutes after nine, a pot-bellied man in a security uniform strolled by. The infamous Carl. As soon as he noticed Jensen’s car he immediately flashed the beam of his flashlight over the windshield. “Hey you! What are you doing over there? This is private property. You don’t belong here,” he shouted.  
  
Jensen started his car and drove off with those words ringing in his ears. _You don’t belong here_. Carl had no idea how right he was.  
  
He spent the rest of the night in his shabby little apartment on the other side of town, drowning himself in self-hatred and Jack Daniels. What a fucking coward he was. What a selfish prick. With what he’d done to that sweet boy, Jensen had proven himself to be not much better than the bullies he’d tried to save him from. After all, he’d taken advantage of Jared’s trust, taken his virginity, and then lied to his face.  
  
He hadn’t even given him a kiss goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

Four months later - Jensen was at work, busy replacing the serpentine belt of an early-model Jeep Cherokee, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up from under the hood of the car to find a well-dressed elderly woman staring up at him.  
  
“Excuse me. Are you Jensen Ackles?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at his grease-stained coveralls.  
  
“Um, I’m sorry ma’am but customers aren’t allowed back here,” he said, wiping his hands on a shop rag. “If you head up to the customer service desk I’m sure my boss, Jeff, can help you with whatever you need.”  
  
“Unfortunately Mr. Ackles I am not here about my car,” she said, with a grim expression. “My name is Anne Padalecki. I’m here about my grandson, Jared.”  
  
“Jared?” Jensen felt like he’d had all the air knocked out of his lungs. He’d been trying, and failing, to not think about the kid ever since that night.  
  
“Are you asking because you don’t remember his name or is it that you don’t remember him at all?” she asked sarcastically. Her steely blue eyes cut through him like shards of glass. “Just how many teenage boys are you in the habit of sleeping with, Mr. Ackles, that you can’t seem to distinguish one from the next?”  
  
“No! It’s not like that.” Jensen glanced around at the other guys in the shop who were working nearby. Whatever she’d come to say to him couldn’t be good and he’d rather not have any of them overhear. “How about we step outside and talk about this?”  
  
“If you insist.” She let him guide her out the side door into the wide alleyway between the main garage bays and the front office. As soon as she stepped outside, she whirled around and confronted him with open disgust. “As cathartic as it would be, I’m not going to stand here and waste my breath telling you what kind of lowlife punk I think you are for what you did to my grandson. I’m sure you couldn’t care less about the opinions of one old woman. I wouldn’t be here at all except that unfortunately Jared needs you right now.”  
  
Jensen was about to try and explain himself to her.  How he’d realized too late that he’d been lying to himself thinking what he did was for Jared’s sake.  How he’d been regretting his decision to leave Jared that night for weeks.  How he’d been practically stalking the entrance to the school grounds hoping to build up the courage to at least go find him and apologize.  Then he heard her say the words Jared needs you.  Nothing he had to say seemed important after that.  
“What’s wrong? Is he okay?”  
  
Anne folded her arms and looked at him with something close to a challenge in her eye. “He’s pregnant.”  
  
Jensen leaned back against the garage wall to stop himself from falling down.  Jared was _pregnant_.  His brain played that thought over and over again like skipping record.  He was so shocked and overwhelmed by the idea that he didn’t know what to say or how to feel.  
  
“It’s yours in case you were wondering,” Anne informed him dryly. “Despite my advice to the contrary, he was adamant about keeping it. He’s about four months along now.”  
  
“Is he…,” Jensen croaked. “Is he okay? Is it, um, healthy?”  
  
“He and the baby are fine. That’s not the problem,” she said, her tone losing some of its edge in the face of his obvious distress. “The problem is that as soon as Jared’s condition became too far along to hide, we were forced to inform the school administration about it. They immediately expelled him.”  
  
“They can’t do that.” Jensen couldn’t believe his ears.  Jared had already put up with so much from those pricks just so he could graduate with their seal of approval on his diploma.  It wasn’t fair.  
  
“We’ve been fighting to get them to overturn their decision for weeks. They’ve been throwing all kinds of excuses at us to keep Jared out. They know if they outright say it’s because he’s with child my lawyers and I will drag them to court.” Anne seemed like she would have no problem doing just that. “They don’t want to readmit him but they don’t want the school’s reputation dragged through the mud by a public scandal either. They’re keeping this as hush hush as they possibly can.”  
  
That explained why Jensen hadn’t heard anything about it from his cousin.  He hadn’t told Nick any details but he had been asking about Jared now and then just to keep tabs on him.  Nick had been pretty much useless in that area.  His only concerns in life were limited to lacrosse, his GPA, and his girlfriend.  He and Jared were in different grades and vastly different social circles which to Nick meant that they might as well be living on different planets.  He had barely taken notice of the kid, but something as juicy as their only omega student getting knocked up and expelled would have been news worth sharing.  Jensen figured the administration must be keeping a very tight lid on Jared’s pregnancy if the rest of the student body didn’t even know.  
  
“I’ve been able to argue them down to one final sticking point,” Anne continued. “They are claiming that they can’t allow Jared’s baby to live with him on campus once it’s born because it’s against school policy.  They also won’t allow him to resume his classes unless he agrees to live in their dorm.  Its part of the agreement we signed when he was admitted and they’re trying to hold us to it now.”  
  
“What do they expect him to do?!” Jensen exclaimed, raising his voice in frustration. “He can’t live somewhere that won’t take the baby too.”  
  
“What they expect him to do is to give up,” Anne replied with a scowl. “They think they have our backs against the wall but they’re wrong.” She produced a copy of the Haverford Academy Student Handbook from her purse. “We found a loophole in their residential housing policies. It says that all special admittance students like Jared must board at the school. But, it also says that married students may opt out of any residential housing requirements so that they can live with their spouse. The policy is decades old, written with the senior students in mind, but the language is broad enough that it can be used to apply to Jared’s case too. If he gets married then he can live with his baby and stay in school.”  
  
Jensen’s head was spinning with everything that she was throwing at him. He couldn’t have heard her right. “So what you’re saying is that you want me to _marry_ Jared?”  
  
“No, Mr. Ackles,” she said, sending him a scathing look. “I do not want you to marry my grandson but it seems that it’s our only course of action. Jared isn’t blameless in this situation, of course. It takes two to tango. But he’s willing to live with the consequences. At this point he has no other choice. All I’m asking is for you to live up to your half of the responsibility for the next two years. Once Jared graduates you can have the union dissolved and you can go your separate ways if that’s what you want.”  
  
It wasn’t at all what Jensen wanted.  He wanted forgiveness.  He wanted to travel back in time and never have left that room.  But if this scheme of theirs would help Jared and the baby he was willing to do just about anything. “What does Jared want?”  
  
“Jared is a dreamer,” she said with a sigh. Some of the hardness in her expression softened a bit. “He’s determined to be an exceptional lawyer. He won’t listen to reason about the likelihood of achieving that goal as a teen parent. Even with all the support I plan on providing him it won’t be easy.” She gave Jensen an appraising look, like she was sizing him up and had so far found him wanting. “I’ll tell you another thing about my grandson. The reason it took me this long to track you down is that he refused to tell me anything about you. He was afraid of getting you in trouble. Then we learned about the loophole and we realized what had to be done to keep him in school. Even then, I had to wear him down to get it out of him. Not that you gave him that much to go on anyway. All we had was your first name and that Nicholas Ackles was your cousin. My private investigator had to do a little legwork to find the rest.”  
  
Jensen was so humbled he was almost speechless. Jared had tried to protect him. After everything, the kid had stayed more loyal to him than just about anyone had in his whole life. “Jared agreed to this plan? He wants to go through with it?”  
  
A hint of sadness appeared in her expression. “Yes,” she replied simply. “This is what he wants.” She looked away, taking a second to compose herself. When she regarded Jensen again that mask of perfect control was firmly back in place.  
  
“I will require you to sign a prenuptial agreement, of course,” she continued briskly, all business again. “We can have a simple ceremony at the courthouse. There’s no need for fanfare in a situation like this after all. Then as soon as everything’s nice and legal I’ll set the two of you up in a suitable apartment for appearances sake. I own a building uptown that should fit the bill nicely. You won’t have to worry about rent or any other expenses - within reason. All I ask is that you stay married to Jared until he graduates and that you treat him and the baby with respect. After graduation day you can consider your responsibility towards the both of them to be over.”  
  
“Ma’am, I know what you must think of me and I know that I probably deserve it, but you’re wrong if you think I don’t care. I care very much.” Jensen heard the crack in his voice when he said those words but he wasn’t going waste time worrying about his pride. It was too late for that now. “My word might not mean much to you or to Jared but I’m going to change that. I’m going to do right by him and by our baby.”  
  
“Yes well, for all of our sakes I hope you’re right,” Anne replied in an icy tone. She tucked the student handbook back in her purse and snapped it shut. “I’ll have my lawyers draw up the necessary papers. As you can imagine we are eager to have this matter settled as soon as possible. Someone will call you to follow up on the details.”  
  
“When will I get to see him?” Jensen asked.  
  
“Soon enough.” She looked him up and down with a disapproving glare. “Let me make myself abundantly clear, son. Don’t think that your cooperation with this changes anything. You might be marrying my grandson but you have not earned the right to be his husband. You’ll do well to remember that. And if you say or do anything to hurt him I will make it my life’s work to bury you, I promise you that. Do we understand each other?”  
  
“Yes, ma’am.” Her words stung, but Jensen knew that she had every right to dislike and distrust him. It was his responsibility to prove her wrong.  
  
“Good day, Mr. Ackles,” she said curtly and walked away, her business with him obviously concluded as far as she was concerned.  
  
Jensen stood in the alleyway for long while trying to process the bombshell that she’d just dropped on him. He knew is life would never be the same from that moment on. It was terrifying and strangely exhilarating at all once. He was going marry Jared. He was going to be a father.  
  
Now he had to find some way to show Jared how sorry he was and how much he wanted them to be a family together. Not just for the next two years – but for the rest of their lives.

Two weeks after Anne confronted him at the garage, Jensen was standing in a conference room at the county courthouse sweating his way through a rented suit. He was about to see Jared for the first time since the day they’d met. In less than an hour they’d be married and when they both went home that night it would be to the new apartment they’d be sharing together. Jensen’s own apartment had already been emptied and his things packed off by a crew of workman earlier that day. Anne hadn’t been kidding when she had told him it would all be happening “as soon as possible”. His whole life was about to change in the blink of an eye and the scariest part was that he was actually looking forward to it. It was easily the most surreal day of his life.  
  
Jensen had paced the room about a dozen times thinking about what he was going to say to Jared. He’d bailed on a lot of things in his life. School, jobs, relationships. He hadn’t cared enough to stick with any of them. But this was different. He wasn’t going to bail on Jared or on his kid. Jensen had firsthand experience with what it felt like to have your home left broken when your father walked out. As soon as the news about Jared’s baby had finally sunk in, he’d vowed to himself that he wasn’t going to put his kid through the same thing. Jensen’s father hadn’t loved him or his mother enough to stay, but his child would never know what that kind of rejection felt like. Of that he was certain.  
  
What he wasn’t certain of was how he was going to show Jared that he wanted to be a part of his life as much as their baby’s. Jensen had never believed in love at first sight before but it was hard for him to dispute it now with how he felt. It had only been one day – barely that – more like a few hours, and still the sweet young omega had managed to burrow his way into Jensen’s heart. The old fairytales about finding a true mate had always been just that to him – fairytales. But what other explanation was there for the emptiness he’d been fighting against ever since he’d let Jared slip through his fingers. He’d tried to ignore it, fill it with booze, and even distract himself from it by picking fights he couldn’t win. None of it had worked. He couldn’t even think of any other omegas when he had the image of Jared’s sweet face haunting his memory day and night.  How was he ever going to make it up to him now?  How was he ever going to show Jared that he could be trusted?  
  
Before Jensen could figure out an answer to any of those questions, the door opened and Anne stuck her head in. “May we come in?”  
  
“Of course!” Jensen hurriedly wiped his clammy palms on his suit pants. He’d never been so nervous in his life.  
Anne disappeared for a second. When she came back she was guiding Jared in with a protective hand on his shoulder. He looked just as nervous as Jensen was.  
  
It was a shock to see how his body had changed in so short amount of time. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and tie not too different from Jensen’s own, but unlike his Jared’s suit jacket was left unbuttoned to accommodate his pregnant belly. Although it wasn’t nearly as big as Jensen had expected it to be it was still very obvious. It sort of just looked like Jared had swallowed a large cantaloupe. The thing that Jensen found most distressing about the boy however was the miserable expression he wore. It seemed like he was trying to shrink in on himself, looking anywhere but at Jensen’s face. Anyone who didn’t know better would have guessed he’d just been sentenced to life in prison rather than issued a marriage license.  
  
“Hey, Jared,” Jensen greeted him hesitantly.  
  
Jared stood next to his grandmother, his whole being radiating an uncomfortable tension. “Hi.”  
  
“Well, all the paperwork has been processed,” Anne announced, breaking the awkward pause in the room. “We’re just waiting on the judge now. It should only be a few minutes.” She looked from one of them to the other. “I’m going to give you two some privacy. I’m sure you have a lot to discuss.” She turned to Jared and lowered her voice to a comforting whisper. “I’ll be right outside if you need me, sweetheart.”  
  
Jared nodded stiffly and a moment later she was gone. The silence that followed after she closed the door behind her was deafening.  
  
Jensen was at a complete loss for how to begin so he figured he’d start by trying to break the ice with some smalltalk. “You look good,” he said. “How are you feeling? Do you wanna sit down?”  
  
“Why are you doing this?” Jared asked, nervously picking at the hem of his shirt. He obviously wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. “Did she offer you money or something? Is that it?”  
  
“No. I don’t want her money. That’s not why I’m here.” Jensen hated to think that Jared’s opinion of him was really that low. “Your grandmother tracked me down and told me about your situation. I wanted to help,” he explained. “If I had known about the baby I would have come sooner.”  
  
Jared put a protective hand on his belly. “So that’s why you’re agreeing to this? For the baby?”  
  
“That’s part of it.” Jensen took a few steps toward him. “I don’t want you to have to go through this alone. I want to be a part of its life.”  
  
Jared didn’t move away but he wouldn’t look at him either. “What’s the other part?”  
  
“It’s you. Jared, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I never should have left you that night. I wanted to go back and apologize so many times.”  
  
“Then why didn’t you?”  
  
“I was an idiot.  I convinced myself I was doing you a favor.  I didn’t want to get involved with you because I thought we were just too different. You’re going to be something special, Jared, I can see that about you. I’m nobody, you know. I’m just a mechanic. My life is kind of all over the place and I thought it would be better if I didn’t drag you down into it with me.  I knew that to be the kind of person that you deserve I would have to change. I didn’t think I was ready to or that I even could if I tried.  When you get down to it, I was just plain scared.”  
  
“You were?” Jared asked softly. The change in his tone was the only sign that Jensen’s words were getting through to him.  
  
“Yeah, I was. I was scared that I’d never be able to measure up. And I was scared that even if I went back to see you that you wouldn’t want to talk to me. That you’d never forgive me. To be honest, I’m still scared.” Jensen took a cautious step closer. His fingers itched to reach out and take Jared’s hand but he wasn’t sure of the reaction it would get. “But I’m not going to let it stop me anymore. Not when so much is at stake.”  
  
Jared’s chin started to tremble. “I don’t know what you want from me. How am I supposed to trust you? You lied to me. You left me.”  
  
“I know. I know and believe me I am so sorry. If I could take it back I would.” Jensen swallowed hard. “Jared, please look at me.” He waited until Jared raised his head a bit and looked up at him. The hurt in the boy’s eyes was almost too much for him to bear. “I’ve done a lot of things that I regret in my life but running out on you was the worst.  If you’d just give me a chance, I swear I’ll never do it again.  All I want is the chance to be with you.”  
  
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Jared said fretfully. “All this time, I’ve been so angry at you. And scared,” he added, his voice wavering a little. “And lonely. I hated you for making me think I actually meant something to you. Now I don’t know how to feel.”  
  
“Jared, you did mean something to me. You meant a lot and you still do,” Jensen assured him. “Do you still hate me?”  
  
“No,” Jared admitted. He looked down at his belly. “But it’s not just about me anymore. I have to think about what’s right for her too.” When he raised his eyes to meet Jensen’s again there was a renewed strength in his resolve. “I appreciate you agreeing to marry me but that doesn’t mean that everything’s just suddenly okay. What if you don’t feel the same way two years from now? If you’re going to come into our lives and make a lot of promises just to leave again then maybe it’s better if you don’t get our hopes up at all.”  
  
Jensen barely registered anything that Jared had said past the fact that he didn’t hate him. He was simply ecstatic. That meant there was still hope. He could hold on to that and he would, no matter what it took to convince Jared that he could be trusted. It took him a second for his brain to catch up but when it did he realized something else fairly vital in what Jared had just told him. “You just said _her_. It’s a girl?”  
  
Jared was momentarily thrown off guard. “Y-yes. It’s a girl.”  
  
“Can I feel?” Jensen asked, holding his hand out towards Jared’s belly.  
  
Jared glanced at him warily but he nodded his head yes.  
  
Kneeling down so that he was eye level with it, Jensen placed a hand on either side of Jared’s bump. It was firm and round and perfectly curved. It was hard to believe that there was a tiny baby hiding inside there that he’d helped create.  
  
“Hi baby girl,” Jensen said, marveling at the idea of talking to his child for the first time. “My name is Jensen. I’m your dad.” It was a moment he knew he’d remember for the rest of his life.  
  
Jared watched him silently, his eyes filling with tears.  
  
“You’re too little to understand this right now but today is a really big day. Today is the day that you and me and your daddy become a family.” Jensen felt a lump forming in his throat. “I’ve never had much of a family before so I don’t know if I’m going to be any good at it but I’m going to try real hard, okay. I’m going take care of you and make sure that nobody hurts you. Not ever.” Tears started to roll down his cheeks. He had to stop for a second to wipe them away. “I’m going to love you so much,” he told her. “I haven’t even met you and I already do. And I know your daddy loves you too. You don’t know it yet but you are so lucky to have him.”  
  
“Jensen,” Jared sobbed, crying openly now. He put his hands over Jensen’s where they were cradling his belly.  
Jensen leaned forward and kissed the bump that in a few short months would be his daughter. Then he stood up and pulled Jared into a hug. He couldn’t stand not holding him for one more minute.  
  
Suddenly the door to the conference room opened.  
  
“Boys, we’re re- Oh Jared!” Anne said in surprise. She looked alarmed at the sight of her grandson in tears. “Are you alright, honey?”  
  
Jensen released him as she rushed to his side. He turned away for a second and scrubbed a hand down his face, trying to compose himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d let anyone see him cry.  
  
Anne put her arm around Jared to comfort him as he sniffled and wiped his eyes. She glared at Jensen. “What have you done now?” she demanded. “Jared, what did he say to you?”  
  
Jensen spun around, ready to set her straight, but Jared spoke up first.  
  
“H-h-he didn’t do anything,” Jared replied, his voice still a bit wobbly with emotion. “I’m okay, Gram, really. I just got upset. It’s not his fault.”  
  
Anne didn’t look all that convinced by his assurances but she relented. “Alright, if you’re sure.” She took a packet of tissues out of her purse and offered him one. “I came to tell you that the judge is ready for you now. Are you sure you still want to go through with this?”  
  
Jensen felt his stomach drop. Jared could still say no. None of this had happened the way he would have wanted it to but now that it had he didn’t want to lose this opportunity to make Jared his. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get the chance again.  
  
“We can always try sending you to a different school,” Anne continued. “With your grades you should be able to get into whatever college you wanted to no matter where you transferred to. Another private institution might give us a hard time with you in this condition but maybe public school-”  
  
“No,” Jared said, shaking his head. “I’m not going to let them win. Not after everything they put me through. And you too, Gram. You’ve worked so hard to make this happen for me.”  
  
“Sweetheart, if you’re worried about letting me down – don’t,” she told him. “All I want is for you to be happy. Don’t do this if it’s just about pleasing me.”  
  
“It’s not.” Jared shot a quick look at Jensen. “I think this is the best thing for all of us. It’ll be okay.”  
  
Jensen couldn’t help but feel a little heartened by that. Hopefully Jared was starting to warm to the idea of being married to him for more than just show.  
  
If Anne noticed their silent exchange, she didn’t let on about it. “If you insist.” she said with a resigned sigh. “Let’s go and get this over with then.” She ushering Jared out of the room without sparing Jensen a second glance.  
  
Jensen followed after them, doing his best to stay positive. When it came down to it, it didn’t matter what Anne thought of him as long as Jared was willing to keep an open mind. He was determined to prove him that he had changed. He meant to keep his promise to his daughter and to be the kind of husband that Jared could be proud of.


	4. Chapter 4

The ceremony itself was over faster than Jensen had ever imagined. The judge looked vaguely bored like he’d done this a hundred times before, which in all probability he had. There were only two witnesses, Anne and Jensen’s boss, Jeff, who was really there only because he hadn’t believed Jensen’s excuse as to why he needed the day off. Jared was so anxious that he was shaking. He looked like he was ready to bolt any second.  
  
The only part of the whole ceremony itself that Jensen would be able to remember later was when the judge quickly glanced over their forms and asked, “Do you have rings you want to exchange?”  
  
For a moment Jensen had panicked. With everything happening so fast he’d completely forgotten about getting Jared a ring. Then Jared’s grandmother had stepped forward and held up a small blue velvet box. “Here,” she had said, lifting the lid. “I hope they fit.”  
  
Inside were two titanium wedding bands, one inlayed with black gold for himself and a smaller one with white gold for Jared. For a second Jensen had just stared down at them, completely speechless. They were perfect. “Thank you,” he managed at last.  
  
Anne smiled in satisfaction. “Jared was the one who picked them.”  
  
Of course. Only Jared could have been so thoughtful about what he would have liked.  
  
The rest of the actual vows seemed to fly by. He had said, “I do” when he was prompted to and to his eternal gratitude he heard Jared stammer out the same, but other than that Jensen had felt like the whole thing was happening to someone else. Like he was just watching it all go down from somewhere outside his own body. The only thing that kept him tethered to the earth was the feel of Jared’s small hand trembling in his.  
  
Then just like that it was over. They were married.  
  
“By the power vested in me by the State of Connecticut I pronounce you married,” the judge announced flatly. He leaned over his desk and quickly scrawled his signature on their marriage license, then handed it to Jensen. “Take this to the clerk on your way out. She’ll print you up copy of your certificate.”  
  
Jensen could barely believe how carelessly the man said it but the delivery didn’t matter. Jared was his.  
  
Without waiting another second for anyone’s permission, he leaned in and moved his hand to the back of Jared’s neck. He had one glimpse of Jared’s hazel and honey eyes opening wide before he gave his little husband his first real kiss. It lasted only a few heated seconds but it was tender, Jensen softly sliding Jared’s bottom lip between his and just barely grazing it with his tongue. When he pulled away, Jared’s lips were flushed pink to match the blush across his cheeks. The boy looked up at him with a dazed look of wonder on his face. Jensen felt immensely proud for having put it there.  
  
Jeff clapped loudly and whistled.  
  
Anne was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “Oh! I really didn’t think I would cry.” she sniffled. “Come along now boys.” She snatched the license out of Jensen’s hand and swept out of the room towards the clerk’s office.  
  
Jeff patted Jensen on the back.  “Congratulations, man. I can’t believe you actually did it. Good for you.” He beamed down at Jared. “I swear I thought I’d never see the day. You must be something real special, Jared.”  
  
“He is,” Jensen replied.  
  
Jared smiled back at him shyly.  
  
“Well, I got to get back to the garage,” Jeff said. “But before I do, Jensen, I wanted to give you a wedding gift. A nice long paid vacation. I don’t want to see you anywhere near work for the rest of this week or the next.”  
  
Jensen couldn’t believe his ears. Jeff had never given him a day off without some kind of hassle. He watched Jensen’s timesheet like a hawk. “Really?”  
  
“Yes, really. Let it never be said that Jeff Morgan doesn’t appreciate romance,” he said, sending Jared a wink. “I’m sure you crazy kids can think of plenty of ways to spend that time on your honeymoon.”  
  
Jared looked down bashfully and covered a hand over his belly.  
  
Jensen took Jared’s free hand. “Thanks, Jeff. I’ll see you later.” He knew his boss meant nothing by the gesture but he couldn’t help his gut reaction. He’d never been especially possessive before but Jared seemed to bring things out of him he’d never anticipated. “Come on, Jared. We don’t want to keep your grandmother waiting.”  
  
Jensen led him by the hand out of the judge’s chambers. He could feel Jared watching him out of the corner of his eye. Probably wondering about what kind of man he’d just married.  
  
“It’s going to be okay,” he said. It was to reassure himself as much as it was for Jared. “You’re not going to be alone anymore.”

After the ceremony, Jared’s grandmother treated them to a nice dinner at the private club she belonged to. Jensen couldn’t have afforded a meal there if he had offered the maître d’ one of his kidneys. About half of the menu consisted of stuff that he couldn’t identify and his tie was starting feel like it was choking him. Fish out of water didn’t even cover it. He felt like he’d been dropped on an alien planet.  
  
Jared was noticeably quiet throughout the entire meal. He pushed his food around on his plate more than he actually ate it. Lucky for him Anne didn’t notice or else he probably would have gotten an earful about it. Jensen wished he had ESP or something so he could read the kid’s mind. For a moment back at the courthouse he’d thought that maybe Jared was starting to come around but now he wasn’t so sure.  
  
He didn’t get a chance to talk to him alone until he was driving Jared home an hour later. Anne had hugged Jared tightly when they said goodbye outside the restaurant and made him promise to call her in the morning. She wanted to make sure that all of his things had been delivered to the new apartment in perfect condition. Anything else that they needed she’d take him shopping for herself. By the time they’d parted both her and Jared had been a little misty-eyed. Jensen was desperate to find a way to cheer him up.  
  
“So have you seen this apartment yet?” he asked. “I’ve driven by but I didn’t get a key until today. It looks nice from the outside.”  
  
Jared nodded to show that he was listening but he didn’t comment. He just kept staring out the window, rubbing the mound of his belly in slow up and down strokes.  
  
“I noticed you didn’t eat much,” Jensen said, trying a different angle. “Didn’t you like your meal?”  
  
Jared shrugged noncommittally.  
  
“Are you feeling okay?” Jensen glanced over at Jared’s belly. “Is it the baby?”  
  
“She’s restless,” Jared said simply.  
  
“Oh.” Jensen didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t know anything about babies. “Is that normal?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jared replied with another shrug. “I’m not up to that part of “ _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_ ” yet. All I know is that she moves around a lot during car rides.” He looked down at his belly. “I guess she likes it.”  
  
Jensen couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. “That’s my girl,” he said proudly.  
  
Jared didn’t respond to that. He just returned his gaze to the window, staring out at nothing in particular.  
  
Jensen sighed. He was going to have to get himself a copy of that book. If only they made a handy manual for teenage omegas too.

Once they got to their new apartment and went inside, Jensen started to understand exactly what kind of life together Jared and his grandmother thought the two of them were going to have as a married couple.  
  
The apartment itself was great. Ten times nicer than his own had been. It was a garden apartment with a small private yard out back, a large open-concept kitchen, and a fireplace in the living room. At the moment it looked pretty empty except for a brand new couch, a huge stack of moving boxes, and an enormous flat screen TV mounted on the wall. None of which belonged to him.  
  
It wasn’t until he walked down the hall towards the bedrooms that he realized that his idea of what their marriage was going to be like was completely different from Jared’s. There were three bedroom in the rear of the apartment; one with pink walls that seemed earmarked for the baby’s nursery, one where his own bed had been placed along with all of his suitcases, and a third bedroom with a very familiar patchwork quilt on the bed. Apparently Anne had expected that Jared would be more comfortable with his own bedroom, and Jared…well he didn’t know exactly how Jared felt about it. Or about him for that matter. A situation which Jensen intended to fix immediately.  
  
“Jared?” Jensen said, walking back into the livingroom. “Can we talk for a minute?”  
  
Jared was sitting on the couch in front of the blank TV screen looking a little lost in the unfamiliar space. “Yeah, okay.”  
Jensen reminded himself that it had already been an overwhelming day for both of them. Probably ten times more so for Jared, who was still so young and so unsure of what he’d just gotten himself into. He hated to have to put anymore crap on the kid’s plate but he felt like he needed to make himself heard before they got off on the wrong foot.  
  
He sat down on the couch next to Jared and took his hand. The physical contact seemed to help keep Jared calm earlier and he hoped it would be the same now.  
  
“I really want us to be able to talk to each other about things,” he began. “I know that none of this really happened in the way it’s supposed to go, but no matter what happens between me and you we have to find a way to live together for our daughter’s sake. Do you understand?”  
  
Jared stared down at their joined hands. “Yeah.”  
  
“I really hope that we can be more than just two people, friends maybe, who share a kid together. Don’t get me wrong, that’s great even on its own. That’s huge. And if that’s all you think you want from me then I’ll settle for what I can get. But I think we can be more.”  
  
Jared looked up and met his gaze, his eyes full of apprehension. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I can trust you.”  
  
“I get that. I do. But I have a way for you to know that you can.” He’d been thinking it over and thinking it over and even though it was a drastic move he felt like he was never going to convince Jared that he was serious unless he was willing to put everything on the line. “I wanna claim you.”  
  
Jared was so shocked he jerked his hand out of Jensen’s. “What?”  
  
“I want to put my claim on you. It’s kind of old-school, I know. Not many couples do it anymore because it can’t be undone. It’s not like marrying someone. With marriage you always have the option of divorce. With a claiming you’ll be bonded to me and I’ll be bonded to you. Everyone will know that you belong to me. I’ll be able to feel you if you’re ever hurt or upset. And I’ll never take another mate. I would never want to.”  
  
Jared’s breath was coming fast now and his hands were clutching his knees in a white-knuckle grip. “W-why? Why would you do that?”  
  
“Because that’s how much you mean to me,” Jensen insisted. “I know we barely know each other and maybe this is completely crazy but…you weren’t wrong when you said that you thought you were special to me. You are. You were right. I felt something so strongly when I was with you. I don’t know if it was love or fate or what but it was there. I was just too freaked out to admit it to myself then. I’m not anymore.”  
  
“How can you be so sure?” Jared asked in a panic. “How do you know it wouldn’t be a big mistake? What if we fight? What if we end up hating each other? What happens if you don’t want me anymore after the baby is born?”  
  
“Jared, calm down,” Jensen told him. He put a comforting hand on Jared’s shoulder. “I don’t have all the answers and I’m not saying that it’s always going to be perfect. Nothing is ever perfect. But I can promise you a few things. I will never hate you, and I will always want you. Being with you could never be a mistake.”  
  
That seemed to quiet Jared’s anxiety a little but he was still obviously bewildered by Jensen’s proposition. His mouth was moving but no words were coming out.  
  
Jensen took pity on him. “I’m not asking you to decide anything right now,” he said. “It’s been a really long day and I don’t want to push you. I just want you to think about it. That’s all I ask. Take all the time you need. Then when you’re ready, you tell me what you want to do, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”  
  
Jared was silent for a moment, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. “Okay,” he said with nod.  
  
“Okay.” Jensen stood up. “I’m going to go bed. Do you need anything?”  
  
“No, I’m okay,” Jared said, looking up at him. “Thanks for today, Jensen.”  
  
“I should be the one thanking you. Thank you so much for marrying me,” Jensen couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and kissed Jared’s forehead. “Goodnight.”  
  
“Goodnight.”  
  
Jensen went into his room and face-planted on the bed, not really giving a shit about finding sheets or making it up properly. He was tired, he was frustrated, and he was worried that the best thing that had ever happened to him might end up slipping right through his fingers.  
  
It might not have been the worst wedding night in history, but he figured it had to be a pretty strong contender for the title.

Over the next few days, Jensen tried to give Jared as much space as he could. It wasn’t easy to do since he didn’t have to go to the garage and Jared was home all day with him. Anne was still working on getting the school administration to admit that now that Jared was married she had them over a barrel and they were going to have to readmit him. In the meantime Jared was working ahead in his schoolbooks so that he wouldn’t be so far behind his classmates. Most of the time he spent sitting on his bed in his room with his nose buried in a textbook but Jensen did try to coax him out every once in a while for meals and a dose of fresh air. He hadn’t touched Jared since their wedding day and he hadn’t brought up the subject of claiming him again either. He was hoping that Jared would talk to him about it if he wanted to but as the days passed without one more word spoken about it Jensen was starting to seriously lose hope.  
  
Then one night he was cooking dinner while Jared in his room talking on the phone with his grandmother when his own cell phone rang. It was his cousin Nick.  
  
“Hey, man. How’s married life going?” Nick asked. He’d taken the news about Jared and the pregnancy amazingly well after his initial shock when Jensen had first told him. He had his reservations about whether or not Jensen was really going to see this through given his track record but he was at least trying to be supportive. Jensen appreciated it more than he could really say. None of the rest of his family had even bothered to call and tell him how much they disapproved but their silence had made the point clear enough.  
  
“It’s…going,” Jensen replied. He had the phone wedged between his ear and his shoulder as he put together the ingredients for a marinated chicken recipe. One of the five or so things he knew how to make. As much as he appreciated his cousin calling to check up on him he really didn’t feel like talking about everything at the moment.  
  
“That good, huh?” Nick said, with a chuckle. “Well, I called to tell you that the word is officially out. The dean made an announcement during assembly today telling us that everyone should congratulate Jared on his marriage and the baby when he comes back to school next week – young love and all that crap. He talked about it like it was something they had all just found out about and were super proud of. It was so obvious they were just trying to put a positive spin on the whole thing for damage control.”  
  
“Wait, what?” Jensen wiped his hands off on a dish towel and took the phone in his hand, dinner instantly forgotten. “They’re letting him back in? They said that?”  
  
“Yeah,” Nick said drawing the word out uncertainly. “I thought you knew. Didn’t anyone tell you?”  
  
“No, I-“ Jensen paused at the sudden sound of footsteps coming towards him at a run down the hallway. “Nick, I gotta go.” No sooner had he set the phone down then Jared came barreling around the corner into the kitchen and nearly knocked him over in a fierce hug. “Jared, be careful!” he exclaimed, momentarily distracted by concern for the baby.  
  
“We won!” Jared cried, pressing the side of his face against Jensen’s shoulder. “They’re taking me back!” Tears of joy were trickling down his cheeks and spotting the navy blue cotton of Jensen’s t-shirt. “Gram just told me. I can go back on Monday!”  
  
Jensen was so elated that he almost felt like he was the one who had scored a victory. “That’s awesome!” he exclaimed, hugging Jared back as hard as he dared with the protrusion of his belly in the way. He didn’t know what he was more thrilled about, the fact that their plan had worked or that Jared had come to him like this to share the news and to celebrate it with him. “I’m so happy for you, baby. You never gave up and you wore those bullies down. You should be so proud.”  
  
Jared looked up at him, his young face shining with happiness. “It never would’ve worked without what you did for me.” He stood up on his tiptoes and kissed Jensen on the cheek. “Thank you,” he cried. He began peppering Jensen’s face with enthusiastic little kisses. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”  
  
Jensen’s heart was soaring he was so happy. “It was all you,” he insisted. He screwed up his eyes and laughed as Jared’s kisses tickled over his face. “I knew you could do it.”  
  
Then the next kiss that Jared gave him landed full on his lips and he froze in shock. His eyes popped open and he saw Jared staring up at him with a mirrored look of surprise on his face as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just done. Jensen didn’t speak, didn’t dare breathe. Whatever happened or didn’t happen next needed to be Jared’s decision.  
  
For a moment Jared just looked at him, staring right through into the core of him like he’d done on the day they’d first met. Then his gaze dropped down to Jensen’s lips. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned in until Jensen could feel the warmth of his breath on his skin. Just when Jensen felt like he was going to die if something didn’t happen soon, Jared’s lips brushed against his own, caught, and held. His kiss was so light and so innocent. It was the first drop of rain before a thunderstorm. Then another one followed it, and another. Soon Jensen couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He moved in and held Jared’s face in his hands as he took over the controls, taking the kiss deeper. He plunged his tongue into the sweet recesses of the boy’s mouth, tasting need and willful abandon.  
  
Jared clung to him, yielding to the onslaught eagerly. He made a little desperate sound in his throat and dug his fingers into Jensen’s t-shirt, kneading the muscle underneath.  
  
Jensen moved down to suck hungry kisses into his neck, loving the way it made Jared gasp and arch against him. “Tell me to stop,” he demanded thickly as he nibbled on the bolt of Jared’s jaw. His hands raked across Jared’s back. One made its way into the back of his hair and the other came to rest on his ass with a possessive squeeze. “Say the word and I’ll stop.”  
  
Jared’s breath hitched and he canted his hips, pressing his ass into Jensen’s hand. “Don’t stop,” he replied on an exhale that was shaky with need.  
  
That was all that Jensen needed to hear. He scooped Jared up, cradling him against his chest like a child, and carried him into his bedroom. Even with the added weight of the baby, he was so light in his arms. This was how their wedding night should have started. He should have carried Jared over the threshold like he was now, with the boy’s hands linked around the back of his neck and kissing his way along the side of his face. Thank god he’d finally gotten around to making his bed.  
  
Gently, he laid Jared down on the comforter and then joined him there on his side, leaning over him on his elbow without putting any weight on Jared or his belly. He started where they’d left off in the kitchen, slow deep kisses that made his whole body feel like it was drugged. He let his hands roam wherever they wanted, wherever Jared seemed to respond the most. His chest, his flanks, his thighs, his ass. The caresses were light, teasing and spreading warmth wherever they touched. It wasn’t long before Jared was squirming and pulling at his clothes, trying to get to the skin underneath.  
  
Jensen took his cue and started stripping them both, stopping to kiss Jared in between every piece that he removed. They were both hard, Jared’s cock bobbing up to graze his belly and Jensen’s hanging thick and heavy between his legs. When they were both completely naked and fitted back up against one another on the bed, Jensen turned his attention to worshipping Jared’s body anew. Exploring it like he hadn’t taken the time to before. The first time in the midst of Jared’s heat it was about pure animal need. This time he wanted to make love to him and show him how he should be treasured.  
  
He noticed how Jared’s nipples were hardened into tight little peaks, slightly fuller and darker now that he was carrying their baby. Jensen licked at them experimentally and was rewarded with a soft little moan. He sucked and nibbled at one while he rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger until Jared was in a frenzy, body arching up into the sweet stimulation. Then Jensen kissed a line down his sternum, over the firm swell of his belly. “So beautiful,” he whispered against it.  
  
“Jensen,” Jared said, turning his name into a plea.  
  
“Shh,” Jensen hushed him. “Let me take care of you.”  
  
He moved to settle himself down on his stomach between Jared’s thighs, not caring about the fact that his own legs were left sticking mostly off the end of the bed. He was wholly focused on making his omega feel good. He took Jared’s cock into his mouth, letting it glide over his tongue and forming a tight ring around it with his lips. A lot of alphas never took the time to give pleasure because they were so focused on taking it for themselves. Jensen had always taken great pride in the fact that he wasn’t one of those alphas.  
  
Jared moaned, a high plaintive sound. He’d never had a mouth on him like this before and he was just learning how wonderful it could be.  
  
Jensen sucked and stroked him with his tongue, bobbing his head up and down Jared’s shaft while he held the boy’s thighs apart in the vice grip of his arms. He wanted Jared completely spread open to him, exposed like a live wire, and that’s exactly what he got. Jared had his hands fisted in the pillow behind his head, his face and neck flushed pink. His eyes were screwed up tight and he was making the hottest little chanting moans with every downward motion of Jensen’s mouth. Then Jensen relaxed his jaw and took Jared’s cock down to the hilt. Jared bucked his hips reflexively and keened. Jensen loosened his grip just enough so that Jared could fuck his mouth in short controlled little thrusts. He could feel it when the boy started to come, his cock twitching on his tongue and a warm wet saltiness flooding his mouth. Jared shouted wordlessly, his body a taught line as his muscles contracted in orgasm. Jensen was so turned on that he couldn’t stop himself from humping his hips against the bed, wanting to feel at least some friction on his cock. Jared coming apart like that for him was even hotter than he’d remembered.  
  
When Jared’s body went slack with release, Jensen slid his spent cock out of his mouth and moved up the bed to lean over him. “Are you okay?” he asked, wiping his lips on the back of his hand.  
  
Jared nodded contentedly and pulled his head down to kiss him. Jensen hadn’t expected it but it was insanely hot how the boy licked into his mouth, chasing the flavor of his own come. Jensen moaned into the kiss. His neglected cock was getting more and more insistent about getting some attention of its own.  
  
“God, you’re gorgeous,” Jensen said, brushing the hair off of Jared’s forehead. He wanted to come but he wasn’t sure if Jared would let him fuck him and he didn’t want to push his luck. Just letting him get this far felt like a lot considering how withdrawn the kid had been lately. He untangled himself from Jared’s limbs and sat up, reaching for his underwear. He fully intended on going to jerk himself off in the shower and then go get dinner back in order, but before he could pull them on Jared sat up and stopped him.  
  
“Where are you going?” Jared asked, grabbing onto his arm.  
  
“I was just going to go take a shower,” he said, electing not to go into the details. “What’s the matter?”  
  
Jared glanced down at his erection meaningfully and then back up to look him in the eye. “Don’t you want…” He let the end of his question trail off, too shy to say the words.  
  
Jensen was so aroused by his timid suggestion that his head felt like it was left spinning from the blood loss. “Baby, there’s nothing more in the world right now that I want more than that but I don’t want it to happen unless you’re sure. Once I’m inside you I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself from claiming you.”  
  
Jared stared up at him, his expression showing no fear. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot. That and all the things that you said to me the other day about wanting us to be a family. It didn’t make any sense to me, why you’d offer to do that if didn’t really mean to keep your word. None that I could figure out anyway. So I guess that means you really do want me to be your mate?”  
  
“Yes!” Jensen pulled Jared closer to him until he was almost in his lap, only the size of his belly kept him from doing so. “That’s exactly what I want. Me and you and our little girl, all of us together. Is that what you want?”  
  
Jared wrapped his arms around Jensen’s neck. “Yeah,” he said, giving Jensen a light kiss. “That’s what I want too.”  
Jensen kissed him back, pouring his whole heart into it. He felt like he was going to burst he was so happy. Finally, finally, everything he could ever want was right there for the taking. Jared was going to be his, body and soul.  
  
“Jared, please,” he moaned, breaking the kiss just as it was starting to really heat up. Gently, he pushed Jared back on the bed. “I can’t wait anymore.” He sat up on his knees, gripping his cock almost painfully to stave off his arousal. “Let me fuck you.”  
  
“Yeah.” Jared shifted his weight a little awkwardly with the added bulk of his belly but he managed to get himself up on his hands and knees, spreading his legs eagerly. “Do it. I want you to.”  
  
Jensen palmed his pert little ass, kneading the warm flesh. He could see the shine of slick around his omega’s hole, a warm invitation. He rubbed his thumb over the furl of muscle, pulling it open a little. It was so tight. Only been used so many weeks ago and only ever by him. He was dying to feel it around his cock again but he wanted to get Jared all loose and pliant for him before he did.  
  
The first swipe of his tongue over Jared’s hole made the boy startle in surprise. “Jensen!” he cried.  
  
“Easy, baby. Hold still.” Jensen said, rubbing his ass. “Just getting you ready for me.”  
  
He licked gingerly around Jared’s hole at first until he could feel him starting to relax into it. Then he flattened his tongue and starting lapping at it with broad rough strokes.  
  
Jared leaned into it, spreading his legs wider. He started stroking his cock as Jensen rimmed him, making it harden again in his hand.  Jensen encouraged him every so often, remembering how he liked to be praised while he touched himself.  
  
“Mmm you taste so good, baby,” he said, his voice dipping into a naughty rumble. “Sweet little hole all wet and dripping for me. Keep doing what you’re doing. I love seeing you stroke your cock for me while I eat you out.”  
  
Jared moaned and tugged on his dick. He was fully hard again in no time.  
  
“So damn gorgeous all spread open like this. You like me fucking you with my tongue?” Jensen pointed his tongue and pushed the tip of it inside Jared’s hole.  
  
“Yes,” Jared whined. His breathing was heavy with arousal from the new sensations he was feeling. “S’really good.”  
  
Jensen pushed in deeper, massaging the tight ring of his hole until it started to give willingly. “That’s it. I bet I could make you come just like this with my tongue in your ass. Such a good boy for me.”  
  
“Yes! Oh god. Please, Jensen.” Jared jerking himself faster. “I wanna come.”  
  
Jensen fucked him harder, sucking on his rim a little to loosen it up more. “Soon, baby. Gotta claim you first. Then you can come.” He stabbed his tongue into Jared’s hole, working at his soft inner muscles as deep as he could go.  
  
“Ah! Please,” Jared begged. He was desperate now, rocking back against Jensen’s face. “Please, alpha. Claim me.”  
  
That was about as much as Jensen could take. He sat up on his knees and grabbed Jared by the hips, and dragged him back onto his cock. As soon as the head breached Jared’s hole, Jensen just about lost his mind. The primal rhythm inside of him that was all alpha took over. He thrust into Jared in one long push until he was buried balls deep.  
Jared cried out in pleasure. “Oh god, yes!” He had to let go of his cock just to hold himself up.  
  
Jensen starting fucking him hard and fast, holding Jared tightly in place so that couldn’t move away from each and every pound of his hips. “Fuck! You feel so good, baby. That perfect little omega hole taking my cock like this, just hungry for it. My good boy. My good sweet boy.”  
  
Jared was making the hottest little noises, a sweet succession of “Ah! Ah! Ah!” falling from his lips with every push of Jensen’s cock inside of him.  
  
“So fucking sexy like this. Your ass in the air taking my cock and your belly all swollen with my baby inside you. Can’t wait to pump this little hole full with my come again. You want that? Want me to knot you up and make you mine?”  
  
“Yes!” Jared wailed. “Yes! I want it! Please!”  
  
Jensen’s knot was already starting to swell. One more hard push and it popped through the ring of Jared’s hole. He kept pumping his hips in short little thrusts to rock it against Jared’s prostate, making it bulge obscenely against his rim every time he pulled back. Jared screamed his name as he came, spurting come against the bedspread underneath him and splattering it up on his belly. His body tensed with the force of his orgasm, clenching all around Jensen’s knot and pushing him over the edge. His release hit Jensen so intensely that shuddered and he fell forward, draping himself over Jared’s back. The alpha instinct in him rushed forward with the higher level functions of his brain drowning in ecstasy. He grabbed a hold of the back of Jared’s neck where the gentle slope of it met his shoulder and he bit down hard, making a mark that would leave a bruise for days. It was his claim on Jared, a brand of ownership that he would refresh over and over again so that every alpha who came near him would see it and smell Jensen’s scent on him.  
Jared cried out once with the pain of the initial bite but he didn’t try to get away. There was no where he could go anyway with Jensen’s knot locking them together. He just let his head fall forward between his shoulder blades in complete submission.  
  
Jensen licked over it to soothe the burn of his mark as his cock steadily filled Jared’s belly with come. “Mine,” he said, his voice a possessive growl. “My good boy. My good little omega.”  
  
Jared sighed in pleasure. “Yours, alpha.”  
  
They stayed spooned together on Jensen’s bed, not wanting to be separated from each other even after Jensen was able to pull out of Jared’s body. Both of them were far too spent to care about dinner anymore. Jensen figured he’d worry about cleaning up the kitchen tomorrow. For the time being, he wouldn’t have moved for a million dollars. He held his little mate in his arms, one hand cradled under Jared’s belly protectively. He could already feel the change in him happening. The magnetic pull that was soul deep and stronger than fate growing around his heart, always and inevitably bringing him back to Jared. He had never felt anything like it before and he never wanted it to stop.  
  
Jensen was just drifting off to sleep when he felt a little nudge against the palm of his hand. He barely noticed it until it happened again, harder this time. It was coming from Jared’s belly.  
  
“Was that?” He sat up and leaned over Jared. “Did she just kick me?”  
  
Jared smiled with his eyes still closed. “Actually she kicked me,” he said drowsily. “We woke her up.”  
  
Jensen laughed in delight. “Sorry little girl. Didn’t mean to rock your boat, there.”  
  
“Yes you did,” Jared responded smugly. “Don’t worry. She’ll settle down again in a little while.”  
  
Jensen laid back down next him and put his hand on Jared’s belly, feeling for his daughter’s kicks. “That’s so cool.”  
  
Jared snuggled back against him. “Yeah, you say that ‘cause she’s not dancing on your kidney. Don’t encourage her.”  
  
“Don’t listen to him,” Jensen said to her, rubbing Jared’s belly soothingly. “Dance all you want, sweetheart.”  
  
“You’re already a bad influence and she’s not even born yet,” Jared complained half-heartedly. “What am I going to do with you?”  
  
Jensen planted a kiss at the nape of his neck. “Love me back.”  
  
Jared covered Jensen’s hand on his belly with his own. “I can do that.”


End file.
